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06 August, 2015

What`s it like Living in Mexico? - Beauty Products

One of the things I hear Expats complain about the most is that they cannot find their specific brand name products here in Mexico. GUILTY AS CHARGED! I was there! I had developed a specific routine based off of brand specific products that I have used religiously for years. Moving to Mexico I slowly, and yes reluctantly, began to discover new (to me) products that are available here in Mexico and that I truly believe to be BETTER than their counterparts that I was buying in the States.I have asked a few of my girlfriends to help me with this post and share their beauty secrets with you. You may be surprised to find that some of the youngest girls are using some very natural products.Sorry Fellas but this post is for the Ladies!!!Here is the thing, as an Expat we are most inclined to go to the Grocery store for EVERYTHING. But in Mexico, and especially in a small town like San Miguel that is the least likely place to find what you are looking for. Now I am not saying that in Mexico you cannot find basic brands, because you can! I am just sharing some of mine and my girlfriends favorite products that we cannot live without and where you can find them in Mexico. Oh how I wish that someone had written a blog post like this 3 years ago! Before I had Mexican girlfriends I was scraping the bottom of the bottles of what I had brought with me and futilely wasting money on products that did not work like I had hoped. Not to mention my poor husband had to translate all the silly names of shampoos, lotions and creams until I started to learn what they meant. Exactly how a man wants to spend his afternoon, in the beauty section of the grocery store reading bottles and tubs of gunk he would never use.

Even though I have curly hair I love the Liso Perfecto (Perfectly Smooth) It tames the frizz and leaves my hair curlier and silky soft. Costs around $40 pesos per bottle. Sedal has dozens of "flavors" Liso Perfect just happens to be my personal favorite.

Eat your heart out Frizz Ease! My hair has never looked so good, felt so soft and healthy... The basic line of Fermodyl comes in 3 colors Blue is a frizz control serum, Green is a leave in conditioner, Purple (pictured) is for color treated hair. I use the green spray and blue serum. They also have special hair treatments that you can buy for various needs, they can be a little bit pricier. But the basic every day use stuff will set you back about $20-40 pesos each.Argon Oil is great for hair growth. Garnier Frutis has a nice hair serum that smells like suntanning to me that contains Argon Oil. Coconut Oil is also great for your hear. Check out a previous post for instructions on creating your own Hair Mask.

MAC is king also in Mexico, thank goodness we can find it cheap at the Tianguis. Here are a few other brands that you can find most anywhere.

You can find most brand names at the big stores like Liverpool, Mega, Soriana and Walmart. Depending on the size of the town you live in, the wider the selection. In large cities Dr Simi Pharmacy carries the most beauty products in one place. Here in San Miguel the Dr Simi is really small and I have not had a lot of luck. I usually go to the Dermatologist corner of Hernadez Macias and Umaran. My friends shop for skin care and makeup with the catalog sellers; Avon, Mary Kay, Yvez Rocher...Makeup Remover Sweet Almond Oil you can pick this up at any farmacia, botica or dermotolagia. A 200 ml bottle costs around $15-20 pesos. Not only is it a great natural makeup remover, but it will also help your eyelashes grow! I learned this from a teenager!!!Witch Hazel known as hamamelis in Spanish is the best toner. Pick this up along with the Almond Oil for $15 pesos.Cetaphil is one of the most recommended soaps by Dermatologists the world round and you can find it in Mexico too. I have had the most luck finding it at a Farmacia Dr Simi. Just recently I picked up some at Costco in Ensenada. I actually let out a squeal of joy! I use the face wash and lotion, although I add my own mix of essential oils to the face lotion. Prices vary depending on what product you are purchasing. The soap bars cost around $80 pesos for the full size bars.

A girlfriend turned my on to St Ives Mineral Therapy and I absolutely love it. You can find it at Mega usually. It is a little bit more expensive then the other lotions but well worth it, especially in the High Desert! Cost just under $60 pesos per bottle.

Jessi and Boris at the Opening of Dinner Underground

About

In this blog you can expect to find Jessi`s thoughts on living in Mexico, tales from our travels and food! Lot's of food. Jessi writes the blog from her perspective as an American Expat living in Mexico, as the wife of a Chef, and as someone who is in love with the culture, people and food of Mexico.